Trump says White House talking to Democrats on gun legislation

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey U.S. August 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was in meaningful talks with Democrats on gun legislation after the latest mass shootings to rock the United States, but congressional aides downplayed the discussions as low-level and not very productive.

 

Democrats have accused Trump of reversing course after he initially voiced support for tougher background checks following the shootings so that "sick people don't get guns." He also suggested the powerful National Rifle Association lobby group might ease its strong opposition to gun restrictions.

 

Since then, however, Trump has shifted his approach, calling the shooters mentally ill and saying the administration had to look at building more mental institutions.

 

"These retreats are heartbreaking, particularly for the families of the victims of gun violence," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Twitter after Trump made his gun comments. He urged Trump to press Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to permit a Senate vote on a background check bill supported by the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, declined to say whether he endorsed any of the gun legislation backed by House Democrats. But he said the administration had been engaged in talks with Democrats.

 

"We are in very meaningful discussions with the Democrats and I think the Republicans are very unified," Trump said. But he said Democrats were weaker in their support for gun rights than Republicans and he wanted to protect against gun controls becoming too restrictive.

 

"We're looking at different things. And I have to tell you that it's a mental problem, and I've said it a hundred times, it's not the gun that pulls the trigger, it's the person that pulls the trigger. These are sick people," Trump said.

 

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration was in discussions with Democrats to produce some sort of meaningful gun legislation following mass shootings in the United States in recent weeks. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

Trump, speaking to reporters at the start of a meeting with the Romanian president, declined to say whether he supported any of the gun legislation backed by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"We are in very meaningful discussions with the Democrats and I think the Republicans are very unified," Trump said, adding that Democrats were weaker in their support for gun rights than Republicans and he wanted to protect against gun controls becoming too restrictive.

"We're looking at different things. And I have to tell you that it's a mental problem, and I've said it a hundred times, it's not the gun that pulls the trigger, it's the person that pulls the trigger. These are sick people," Trump said.

Democrats have been demanding action on guns after shooters earlier this month in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, killed 31 people with semi-automatic rifles using high-volume magazines.

Congressional Democrats did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the president's remarks on guns.

 

Democrats have been demanding action on guns after shooters earlier this month in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, killed 31 people with semi-automatic rifles using high-volume magazines.

 

The White House held a staff-level meeting with Senate Judiciary Committee staff on Friday, congressional aides said.

 

House Judiciary Committee staff met with White House aides on Tuesday, focusing mainly on gun bills the panel plans to take up in a meeting scheduled for Sept. 4. The aides said there was no productive discussion about legislative priorities or measures that the White House could support.

 

Trump suggested on Tuesday he might agree to some changes to improve background checks but did not offer details.

 

"We have very, very strong background checks right now. But we have, sort of, missing areas, and areas that don't complete the whole circle," Trump said.

 

The House Judiciary Committee said on Friday it would cut short its summer recess to meet on Sept. 4 to begin considering new gun control legislation.

 

The panel planned to prepare a series of bills for consideration by the full House, including a high-capacity magazine ban, a measure to prevent people convicted of misdemeanour hate crimes from purchasing firearms and a "red flag" bill to deny guns to those deemed to be a danger to themselves and others.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland, David Alexander and David Morgan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Peter Cooney and Tom Brown)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-21

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10 minutes ago, webfact said:

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was in meaningful talks with Democrats on gun legislation after the latest mass shootings to rock the United States, but congressional aides downplayed the discussions as low-level and not very productive.

So jaw jaw to put off gun law. 

 

The nra puppet masters will be very pleased. 

Edited August 20, 20196 yr by Bluespunk

Talk costs nothing. Action does cost.

He allready folded on background checks so the slaughter continues not surprised at all

So the all powerful US government, that can impose sanctions anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat, has to ask the NRA if it will accept new gun legislation? 

1 hour ago, alanrchase said:

So the all powerful US government, that can impose sanctions anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat, has to ask the NRA if it will accept new gun legislation? 

Well looks like trump does anyway 

Well, first of all meaningful discussions with the opposing party, is what true leaders engage in. So, kudos to him if he is sincere about that. However, I remain skeptical, since he is bought and paid for by the NRA. Deeper background checks are the first place to start, and all parties should agree on that. To hell with the NRA. They obviously put the safety of the American people last, in their list of priorities. 

 

Secondarily, the second amendment applied when the nation needed militias. Does it apply today? I do not think so. Sure, nothing wrong with allowing someone to own one or two guns for hunting and protection. But, there are alot of insane white men in America, who own 17 guns or more. Of all the people in the US, it is the white male that scares me the most, and I say that as a white American man. There are alot of white nutters in America. They need to be kept on a leash.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the administration had to look at building more mental institutions

If Trump agreed to check into one immediately for the next two years, there might be a congressional deal.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Since then, however, Trump has shifted his approach, calling the shooters mentally ill and saying the administration had to look at building more mental institutions.

More duplicity and dishonesty.

In 2017 the Republican-controlled House and Senate passed H.J. Res. 40 which revoked the Obama-era regulation that would have made it harder for people with mental illness to buy guns. In view of the recent El Paso shooting, the bill was sponsored by Texas Republican Rep. Sam Johnson (now retired).

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/president-trump-made-it-easier-mentally-ill-get-guns-when-n1039301

some believe the 2nd amendment was designed as a "hope it is never needed safety valve" should at some time a tyrannical government re-develop.

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Well, first of all meaningful discussions with the opposing party, is what true leaders engage in. So, kudos to him if he is sincere about that. However, I remain skeptical, since he is bought and paid for by the NRA. Deeper background checks are the first place to start, and all parties should agree on that. To hell with the NRA. They obviously put the safety of the American people last, in their list of priorities. 

 

Secondarily, the second amendment applied when the nation needed militias. Does it apply today? I do not think so. Sure, nothing wrong with allowing someone to own one or two guns for hunting and protection. But, there are alot of insane white men in America, who own 17 guns or more. Of all the people in the US, it is the white male that scares me the most, and I say that as a white American man. There are alot of white nutters in America. They need to be kept on a leash.

24% is very significant

 

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump says .......

Isn't that how ALL his lies start?

 

14 hours ago, Tug said:

He allready folded on background checks so the slaughter continues not surprised at all

 

Yeah sure, lets blame Trump. And what exactly did previous POTUS do?

38 minutes ago, JulesMad said:

Isn't that how ALL his lies start?

 

 

No some start with " I did not have................."

2 hours ago, JulesMad said:

Isn't that how ALL his lies start?

 

"People are saying..."

"Everyone is saying..."

"I'm hearing..."

My faves are the outright lies, eg he told the Pakistani PM that Modi asked him (DT) to be the intermediary on Kashmir - which was an outright lie.  He probably has no idea of the tinder box it is, nor the slaughtering that went on at partition, which still wears on the people today.

 

What I think really shows how warped he is are things like this:

during one of his hate rallies he pulls a paper out oh his pocket and says "I just got this letter from Kim Jong Il and he says <name of presidential candidate> is a low IQ person."

"Low IQ person" is a common defamation with him, but I would put his own IQ in the 105 range (I'm being generous today).  Would Kim even know what "IQ" is?  And anyway, who is supposed to be impressed by Kim's opinion?  The whole thing sounds like something a low IQ person would say ????

 

 

 

Welll looks like he flip flopped again lol so who knows 

So he got a 30 minute phone call from the head of the NRA, and guess what, nothing is going to happen now.

 

The Donald back to spouting NRA talking points. What a leader.